Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
I walk the upper edge of the property closest to the house. There’s already a small trail through the snow. Tiernan, no doubt. He gets antsy and comes out here to walk. I’ve noticed he’s been doing it even more since Daphne showed up. That red hair and inquisitive mind seem to be giving him fits. Good. He needs some excitement.
When I hear the scuff of feet in the snow, I stop. Scanning the treeline, I wait for something to move. When nothing does, I pull my rifle and peer through my scope, the special coating on the lens sharpening every trunk, every shadow, and every piece of sky.
Something moves, and I still, my finger not on the trigger yet, but flirting with it. I keep my eye on a large fir tree several yards into the woods. Breathing out slowly, I focus on it, my heartbeat slowing, my body relaxing. Years of training have resulted in me becoming a killing machine. Instead of adrenaline pumping into my system, it’s dopamine. I’m smooth, calm, languid as I wait for my kill shot. No jumping muscles or racing heartbeats to offset my aim.
That’s what Aurora doesn’t really know about me. The pieces of my past that made me who I am. The brutality of my training, the things I’ve done. But when I told her, she didn’t seem scared. I’m sure if I gave her gritty details, that might change, but even so, I still feel nearly certain that she wouldn’t stop looking at me with big, adoring eyes.
Movement pulls me from my thoughts, and I can hear a scuffling noise. I finally rest my finger on the trigger as a shape emerges from behind the tree.
“Fuck,” I bite the word out and drop my rifle, then sling it over my shoulder again. “Damn it, Leonard, find some other tree to scratch your ass on,” I grumble at the big, fluffy lynx and keep walking the property.
When I’ve done the entire circuit and am back at the fortified rear door, I stop and look out into the whiteness around me.
I don’t see anything.
I don’t hear anything but the wind soughing through the icy trees.
But I can feel it.
Danger is out there waiting. Not for me, but for my songbird. And I need to deal with it before it’s too late.
My phone vibrates with a message right as I reach for the door. When I open it and read my contact’s information, my blood turns to ice, and a wicked smile turns my lips.
“Wait. You’re going somewhere?” Aurora looks at me with alarm as I power through another piece of her delectable cake.
“No.” I shake my head. “Just into Frozen Falls. I’ll be gone a few hours, tops.”
“Why?” She licks the icing from her fingertips, giving me so many ideas.
“I need to check in with my contacts around town.”
“Just Zoom them.” She shrugs.
I lean over and kiss the shell of her ear. “These aren’t Zoom conversations, songbird.”
“Oh.” She shivers, and I love the goosebumps that erupt along her arm.
I kiss her shoulder. “You’ll be safe here.”
“I want to come with you.” She looks up at me with those big, trusting eyes.
“I know. And one day soon we’ll go to Frozen Falls together. But for now, I need to do some things. Bad things.”
“How bad?” She arches a brow.
“The worst.” I pull her into my arms and lick the icing off the bottom of her lip. “I’m going to solve your Kent Kingston problem.”
She pulls back. “How?”
“First, I’m going to make sure there isn’t anyone else lurking to try and hurt you. If there is, I’ll handle them.” I don’t feel the need to elaborate on just how bloody that ‘handling’ will be. “And then I’m going to take out the source.”
“Kent?”
I nod.
“But he’s coked out somewhere, probably in a penthouse surrounded by prostitutes or something like that.”
“He’s in Frozen Falls.” I look up as Tiernan strides in. Though he’s wearing a button-down and jeans, I can tell he’s armed to the teeth. “Tiernan and I are going to town to take care of Kent. You’ll stay here where it’s safe. And when I get back, we’ll celebrate.”
“Hopefully with more cake.” Tiernan eyes the empty cake plate.
“I don’t like it.” She presses her palms to my cheeks. “He’s got security out the wazoo, and he’s a bad person, Diego. Rotten on the inside. He’s been stalking me for so long that I think maybe I’ve grown kind of numb to how awful he is, but don’t underestimate him.”
“I’m not.” I kiss her palms. “I generally wouldn’t take backup for something like this, but I’m taking Tiernan. All because I want you to feel comfortable that I’ll be safe. All right?”
“Yeah, Diego works alone,” Tiernan chimes in and presses his finger into the crumbs left on the plate. “I was kind of shocked when he asked for backup.”